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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

DP and Fleas!!!

55 replies

Fleaminraging · 08/03/2019 04:14

So I have name changed in case he sees this but please note this is mostly light hearted...

DS (2y/o) recently came out with various red spots all over him. No bother, thought it was chicken pox! Until I see this little black bug on him - he had just been smothering the cat. This put me into a fit of anxiety that these spots were flea bites! So DP assures me I am being ridiculous there is no sign of fleas any where else, it's probably just a little bug from the garden.

I've spent the last 3 days convinced there are fleas in this house but DP has started getting annoyed at me and clearly showing he is frustrated with me.

Well tonight, in comes Archie (the cat), scratching his ears off of his head, while sitting on my bed. I take one look at him with a flea comb and he has tons of the little buggers!!! I did frontline him at the start of the week and have RIP flea spray for the house but please, does anyone have any tips to get rid of these asap?!

AIBU to be a in a grump with dp for not taking me seriously and then leaving me to deal with the cat tonight!!

If you read this far, thanks for letting me vent, haha. My anxiety is through the roof right now!

OP posts:
HennyPennyHorror · 08/03/2019 04:21

You have to boil wash the bedding and clean all upholstery with a steam cleaner OP....curtains too! Anywhere the cat sleeps.

ABC1234DEF · 08/03/2019 04:26

Frontline is becoming ineffective. Speak to your vet about a better product (advocate or stronghold for example) and definitely give the house a good going over with the RIP. Then vacuum, vacuum, vacuum.

Nothinglefttochoose · 08/03/2019 04:32

Seresto collar. It’s the only thing that worked for our cat.

Aquamarine1029 · 08/03/2019 04:39

Wash the cat with flea shampoo. In several areas of the house, put a shallow pan of very soapy water with a lit candle in the center at night, making sure the rooms are as dark as possible. If you don't want to use candles, place the pans of soapy water under plug in night lights. Fleas are attracted to the light and then fall into the soapy water and drown. Wash ALL of your bedding. Hoover the fuck out of the entire house, several times a day for a few days.

ABC1234DEF · 08/03/2019 04:43

Do not bath the cat, this will only get rid of fleas on the cat at that time (they live in the house not on the cat), will wash off any flea treatment and reduce the efficacy of the next one you use, and really piss the cat off.

Seresto collar is a good shout if your cat usually wears a collar and/or is an indoor cat. We don't tend to recommend them for outdoor cats who aren't used to collars.

Ploppymoodypants · 08/03/2019 04:53

I think it’s not that big a deal. Use. Seresto collar got cat or use advocate or frontline plus (plain front line has become ineffective). No need for the boil wash stuff. Simply wash as usual, Hoover v thoroughly and spray the house with indorex spray. That lasts up to 12 months.
Cats get fleas occasionally, it’s not a big deal, just keep on top of them as above.

blackcat86 · 08/03/2019 04:58

We had this with our cat. I was livid as I had been religiously doing the cat with frontline and our 5 week old baby was bitten! Frontline is becoming ineffective as the fleas are becoming resistant to it. Speak to your vet about stronghold and a specialist spray for the house. Wash all bedding, blankets, throws, cushion covers etc on 60. Hoover the house was much as you can particularly in the corners but empty the bag outside as the fleas may still be alive. We did the more regular washing and hoovering for 3 months which is the life cycle of a flea.

blackcat86 · 08/03/2019 05:01

@ploppymopdypants wrong on all counts my friend. It's a big deal because both the cat and child will be uncomfortable. Yes you do need to boil wash everything. The eggs can survive the hoovering and spraying so its essential to do this for 3 months or risk reinfection. This is the advice on the RSPCA website, from my vet and from vetphone that we have via our insurance.

dreaming174 · 08/03/2019 05:21

You have to be really on top of it.
I sat with a bowl of very hot water and combed out as many as I could and frontlined. Banned the cats from upstairs/being on beds and vacuumed all furniture and carpets almost daily. Washed all bedding. I noticed even then I would be lying in bed and feel/see one land on my arm/leg. It took a while to get rid of. Don't assume they're gone after a few days!

Bluelonerose · 08/03/2019 05:45

Have a bar of soap handy so if you see any smush them with that and they'll get stuck to it.

hoorayforharoldlloyd · 08/03/2019 06:13

Boil wash everything, hoover everywhere including beds and furniture and then spray whole house with indorex, which is amazing stuff.

rainbowstardrops · 08/03/2019 06:20

Out then kitten came to us with fleas (we were told she'd been treated) and I was beside myself as I don't 'do' creatures.
We used Advocate flea treatment from the vets and I used to sit her on a towel with a bowl of soapy water next to me and just try to drown as many of the little buggers as I could.
I also used a stupid amount of Indorex spray around the house and hoovered constantly. Floors, furniture, down the sides of the furniture etc.
The pesky things went eventually but it might take a little while.
Good luck!

GreenOliveOrBlackOlive · 08/03/2019 06:23

Indorex for the house.

And Stronghold for the cat.

BorsetshireBlew · 08/03/2019 06:24

You need prescription flea treatment from the vet not over the counter. I'm not surprised the cat is riddled if you've been using frontline.

lewk · 08/03/2019 06:25

Another vote for Indorex - order off amazon, more expensive than the other stuff but this was the only thing that worked when our house was affected. Get three bottles and spray everywhere, hot wash all bedding and cat areas, hoover and empty out hoover bags. Treat cat with a different type of flea treatment too as mentioned above.

TheSandgroper · 08/03/2019 06:30

Pennyroyal. Fleas hate it. Make a tea with dried stuff, into a spray bottle and spray everything and everywhere. Including the cat, basket, back of the couch, carpet corners. Use with care if you are pregnant.

It's one of the mints so everything smells nice. It doesn't last so you will need to repeat every couple of days. Pop a plant into the garden next month.

LegitimateShite · 08/03/2019 06:35

I use Advantage or Advocate (can’t remember which!) on my cats, and indorex on my house.

Vacuum very thoroughly (pay particular attention to edges and corners where the little buggers can hide), then Indorex EVERYWHERE. Treat the cat with something different, Frontline isn’t as effective as is used to be. Take some vet advice for reassurance if you’re worried about treating again so soon. Wash bedding etc. You can get a little unit that attracts and traps them too - more of an additional measure than a solution in its own right, but it does mean you can monitor the situation and it’s strangely satisfying.

After that, keep on top of preventative flea treatment, outdoor cats will almost certainly pick them up from somewhere at some point!

Blondebakingmumma · 08/03/2019 06:51

I had this last year. The fleas were really bad in the house! Flea eggs will have dropped off the cat onto the furniture and floor!

  1. Treat cat
  2. Take baby out of the house and set off flea bombs in every room
  3. Vacuum 2 times a day until there are no more fleas
  4. Wash all sheets, cushions covers etc in HOT water
longtimelurkerhelen · 08/03/2019 07:04

Indorex Household flea spray. petwell.co.uk/indorex.html

Spray all areas, especially corners, shut all windows and doors, leave for an hour, then open windows to air it out, then hoover. I wear a mask teatowel wrapped round face and try not to breathe too much when spraying.

Go to vet and get effective flea spot on, I get advantage 2.
Frontline has not worked for years, they shouldn't sell it.

You will need to know how much your cat weighs so the vet can dispense the right dosage.

Boil wash anything the cat has slept on, throw out their bed and buy a new one, after you have treated the house.

Haypanky · 08/03/2019 07:06

I think it's a bad year for them, maybe because it's been mild. Currently fighting off the third infestation of the year, dog this time rather than cat. I'd call that proof that over the counter products don't cut it! Booked them both in to the vet this time.

nutbrownhare15 · 08/03/2019 07:06

I don't agree with keeping cat out of bedrooms etc if they've already been there. Let the cat in then the fleas should jump onto it and eat the treated blood rather than jumping onto you.

barcodescanner · 08/03/2019 07:08

Please don't use any more flea treatment on your cat without speaking to a vet first.

TheoriginalLEM · 08/03/2019 07:11

It really annoys me that they still manufacture frontline! It has been widely accepted for ages that IT DOES NOT WORK!! it used to, it doesnt any more.

I wouldn't expect owners to know this necessarily but it is common knowledge in the veterinary profession and one would imagine this has been fed back to the manufacturers by now!

spinn · 08/03/2019 07:24

We use bravecto from the vets as our cat has a flea allergy so has to have the good stuff.

Previously I've found the injection at the vets most effective because it stops the fleas breeding and stops the cycle. (No good for flea allergy with this cat as they have to bite to get the stuff)

When you are vacuuming, the vibration will wake any dormant ones up so spray after vacuum

BlimeyCalmDown · 08/03/2019 07:28

I stayed at a friend's at the wk end and he didn't tell me until too late that his flat was flea infested!!! I was bitten alive and have brought a few home, just had to spend £40 ordering treatments although biting seems to have stopped but think I'll still use it all anyway after reading this thread....

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